PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF NURSES CARING FOR DYING PATIENTS

Little is known about how nurses experience caring for dying patients. Yet, entering the patient's world often involves dealing with death a nd dying and is a major challenge to oncology nurses. The purpose of t his article is to describe rite shared practices of oncology nurses ca ring for dying patients. Stories from staff nurses on an oncology unit were analyzed using a hermeneutic method to identify and describe fou r themes: knowing the patient, preserving hope, easing the struggle, a nd providing for privacy. The four themes contribute to knowledge deve lopment about how nurses enter into and experience caring for dying pa tients. The growing body of knowledge previously reported has included descriptions of critical behaviors in caring for dying patients, copi ng strategies nurses used when caring for dying patients and their fam ilies, and the meaning of oncology nursing practice. The four themes d escribed in this article expand our understanding of the nurses' exper ience in caring for dying patients.